TKC : Quality Time In 1990?
by uncutetomboy
Summary: "The Kathy Chronicles" : Leonardo begins to understand and Kathy begins to see Leo as he is. All good things must come to an end and, so, Leo and Kathy are going Home with their Family. LeoxKathyJones bonding fic. Please R&R, like always!
1. Meet The Turtles?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Quality Time In 1990?

_Authoress' Notes: Okey-dokey! uncutetomboy is back with another instalment of The Kathy Chronicles. This will be the Second Instalment of the "Quality Time…" Mini-Series and takes place a little over a month before "Quality Time In The Kitchen", that had been dated as April 1st , 2007, making this mid-February, which centered around the Brother-Sister relationship Mikey and Kathy, my OC for this 'verse, share. I'm not going to reveal anything more at this time, so please Read, Review, and, most of all, Enjoy!_

_Summary: Leo and Kathy, Casey's Cousin and Ward, always had a rocky friendship. What happens when they find themselves in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar problems… and yet, familiar people? Can they pull together and rely on each other in this strange place, all the while building a friendship from scratch? Or, ultimately, will their differences and clashes ensure that they never return home to their loved ones? Not a LeoxOC._

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any familiar characters. Mirage Studios, along with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are the original owners of our favourite Turtles. I do own Kathy Jones, any unfamiliar characters (well, a few… just read to see), this plot, and this fic. R&R and enjoy!_

Chapter One: Meet The Turtles?

"Oww…" A familiar chestnut haired eighteen year old groaned, her soft hazel eyes fluttering open as a sharp pain seemed to shoot through her skull. "What hit me?" She wondered as she looked around, her slightly disorientated gaze landing on her boyfriend's oldest brother, Leonardo, who had his back to her as he sat at the entrance to what she recognized as being a secret room in the sewers that she and Donatello often used to get a few quiet moments; something was off about the area, however she couldn't put her finger on it. "Leo?"

"How do you feel, Kathy?" He questioned, his quiet voice seemingly to echo towards the girl, Katherine Jones, as she slowly sat up.

"I have a huge headache," she replied, her hand going to her head; she was startled when she felt a piece of cloth tied around her head in the area the throbbing was in. She had a niggling notion of what it could be, but glanced at his head and noticed that the tails of his blue bandana were stubbier and one end was slightly ragged. "Leo, why did you cut your bandana?"

He sighed, turning so he partially faced her but was still able to keep an eye on the entrance as she carefully walked over to him, using her hand on the wall to keep her balance. He watched her cautiously, making sure she wasn't about to fall. "You had a nasty gash on your head, although it wasn't bleeding too badly. I cleaned it as best I could, but I guess I used the last of the gauze that Donnie gave me last week; I had to make do with what I had. It's not as good as what Donnie could do, but at least it won't get infected."

Kathy was invariably touched by this gesture, "I… thank you, Leo. I guess I was out for a while, then?"

Leo nodded in agreement, keeping his senses open, "No problem; I'm sure you would have done the same if it were me knocked out." They shared a small, slightly uncomfortable smile as Leo helped his brother's girlfriend to carefully sit down beside him. "We were both out for a while; I woke up beside a dumpster with you a few feet away and, since it was getting light out, I took you down the nearest manhole and I found this place."

"Why didn't you just take me to the Lair, Leo?" Kathy wasn't intentionally criticizing him, but her curiosity made it seem that way to an outsider.

His face became more serious than she'd ever seen it; and she'd seen him plenty serious. "I don't know how to tell you, but, Katherine, the Lair doesn't exist. I checked; nothing around here is familiar."

Kathy frowned; he never used her full name, he knew how much she hated it, so for him to use it meant that he was completely serious. Her eyes strayed to an area that she knew that would have a distinguishable marking, but, to her surprise, the mark wasn't where it should have been; a quick look around the room proved that the mark wasn't anywhere around. "Oh, shit," she hissed, her head going back to press her forehead, which began to throb.

"What's wrong? Did it start bleeding again?" Leo asked, and she had to smile at the concern in his voice; although she and Leo got into arguments more than he and Raphael they still cared but didn't show it to one another, or she assumed that it wasn't just one-sided.

"No, not that I can feel," she awkwardly pet his hand in assurance. "I recognize this room, but there should be a etching of a Bo with mine and Donnie's initials in it over there," she pointed to where she knew it was supposed to be.

"That's right; this is where you and Donnie keep sneaking off to," he mused, smiling slightly at her quizzical look. "Raph and I have known about it since the first time you two snuck off; why else do you think Mikey never burst in on you two?"

The youngest Jones blushed, embarrassed that her boyfriend's brothers knew about their "escapades". "I never thought about it; Donnie probably knew that you two knew, but I guess I don't think as much as I should, huh?"

Leo placed an awkwardly comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it; your secrets are safe with us." He stood up, offering her his three fingered hand, half-expecting her to cringe away from him or to ignore it; he was pleasantly surprised when she took it with no hesitation and a small smile. He helped her to her feet, steadying her when she swayed a bit, "Are you sure you're okay, Kathy?" He was worried, she'd gone pale in a matter of moments; he remembered his genius brother telling him that that was never a good sign when head injuries were involved.

"Sorry; I just got a little dizzy," Kathy muttered, unconsciously gripping his upper arm for support. "Ugh, I feel like Giles," she complained as they slowly made their way out of the room and into the tunnels.

"Giles?" Leo raised an eye ridge at her.

"A character from "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer"; Rupert Giles, Buffy's Watcher, is always getting hit over the head or knocked out, but when he's determined he can kick some serious vampire butt," she explained as another wave of dizziness hit her and she stumbled, only to have her companion catch her around the waist. "Wh-what are you doing, Leo?" She squeaked comically when he picked her up and positioned her in his arms bridal style.

He didn't look at her, instead concentrating on not slipping on the slick tunnel walkway. "Donnie would kill me if I let you hurt yourself any more than you already have; he may be the least temperamental of us, but when it comes to you he's worse than Raph in a bad mood."

A soft smile slid onto her face at the mention of her sweet boyfriend. "Donnie's a sweetheart, there's no denying that." Another thought hit her, "Wait, do you think we could be in another Dimension?"

Leo thought about it for a moment, not pausing his stride. "I suppose it's possi-" He stopped short, hearing something Kathy couldn't, as shock overcame his features.

Kathy strained her ears, and she, too, was shocked as she heard four very familiar voices, only they sounded more like she'd imagined they would have in their mid-teens. "Donatello, are you sure your detectors sensed trespassers?" What sounded uncannily like Leo's voice asked.

"I'm positive, Leonardo," what was seemingly her boyfriend's voice replied and Leo didn't have time to recover from his shock and hide as four familiar turtles came around the bend; not that there was anywhere around that was suitable.

"Whoa, dudes," a younger looking Michaelangelo breathed as the human and five mutants stood and stared at each other in shock; Leo and Kathy were staring at fifteen year old versions of him and his brothers.

"Who're you?" The young Raphael eyed the two strangers with caution, his hands hovering near the Sais on his belt.

"I'm K-" Kathy's mouth was hastily covered by Leo, who gave her a warning look.

"Her name's Caprice Speedle," Leo lied smoothly, expertly ignoring the hot glare the girl in his arms was giving him. "I'm Lee Motomiya. We got a little lost and lost track of time; my friend got hurt, so we were just looking for a place where she can get it looked at. Could you tell us where we are and the date?"

"Well, you're in New York City and it's July 31st, 1990," the Leonardo-look-alike supplied for the two travellers.

Leo's knees nearly buckled as Kathy became a dead-weight in his arms; looking down, he saw that she'd fainted from shock. Whether it was from this alternate reality or from her head wound, he didn't know.

To be continued…

_Authoress' Notes: Well, here's the first part of the Leo and Kathy centric. A little on the short side, but I promise that the other chapters are longer. This is mainly just to gain interest in the story. I already have Chapter Two typed up, so I should update again next week sometime. If anyone can guess what Alternate Universe to the 2003 Cartoon 'Verse (which is the Universe The Kathy Chronicles are based in) Leo and Kathy landed in, you get a surprise. Feel free to ask questions and I'll be sure to place answers in the coming chapters. How Kathy and Leo ended up in an Alternate Universe to their own will be revealed in future chapters. I'm planning on the story having five or six chapters, since Leo and Kathy __**really**__ need to work on building their friendship from the ground, up._

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


	2. Two Leos Equals A Headache Part I

_Authoress' Notes: As promised, here's chapter 2 of QTi1990. A huge thanks to my two reviewers: randomlass and AshK. Thanks, you two! I really appreciate your continued support._

_This chapter is the first part of a two-parter, or possibly three-parter, I haven't decided. randomlass was the only one to guess what Universe this story was based in (she sent it in a PM to me). It's based in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (in other words, the original cartoon). I chose that particular Universe because, for the most part, the character's personalities are completely different and I thought it would be interesting to see how a cross-over between the two would work out; I have yet to find one on Fanfiction that's a decent cross-over between the two. _

_**I've decided on six, possibly seven, chapters for QTi1990; one or two of them will take place in Kathy and Leo's Universe, or I might do a separate story which shows what their family is going through, starting with just before they ended up in the 1987 Universe. Which would you, as Readers, prefer? Let me know, please; I love feedback! I'm going to leave you all to the story, now; please R&R and, most importantly, enjoy!**_

_Before I forget, Kat (randomlass), here's your surprise:_

_**Story Dedication: To my fellow TMNT fan and close E-Pal, Kat a.k.a. randomlass. Kat, I hope you like this one as much as you liked the others in TKC!**_

_Summary: Kathy Jones and Leo are stuck in an Alternate Universe to theirs; here, they're met with very familiar people, but different personalities and different lives. Will they return home to their family, or will they be forever stuck in this Upside-down World?_

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any familiar characters. Mirage Studios, along with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are the original owners of our favourite Turtles. I do own Kathy Jones, any unfamiliar characters (well, a few… just read to see), this plot, and this fic. R&R and enjoy!_

Chapter Two: Two Leos Equals A Headache - Part I

"Well, you're in New York City and it's July 31st, 1990," the Leonardo-look-alike supplied for the two travellers.

Leo's knees nearly buckled as Kathy became a dead-weight in his arms; looking down, he saw that she'd fainted from shock. Whether it was from this alternate reality or from her head wound, he didn't know.

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When Kathy came to, it was to a pastel pink room and a smiling woman who looked like her cousin and Guardian, Casey Jones', fiancé April O'Neil except with short auburn hair instead of long, deep red. "Oh, good; you're awake. How are you feeling?" The woman stood up and helped the stunned girl to sit up, holding a glass of cool water to her lips.

"Thanks," Kathy managed, eyeing the older woman curiously. "I'm okay, I guess; except for a migraine. Um, where am I?"

"Here, this should help your migraine," the auburn haired woman gave the girl two ibuprofen, which she gratefully took with a gulp of the still partially-full water glass. "You're in my apartment; I'm April O'Neil, by the way." Hearing this, the girl nearly choked on her water; April hurriedly sat by her side and pat her back. "Are you okay, Ms. Speedle?"

Kathy inwardly swore to interrogate Leo about where he'd learnt her middle name from, instead she coughed a bit and replied, "I'm fine; the water just went down the wrong tube, is all, Ms. O'Neil."

"Please, call me April. Your friend, Lee, said that you two were lost? May I ask where you're from?"

"I-I'm originally from New York, April, but my family moved to Japan several years ago, which is where I met Lee," the chestnut haired girl hurriedly put together a story, trying not to put too many lies into it; she was, as Mikey and Raph often pointed out, a terrible liar. "Um, speaking of Lee, where is he?" She was nervous in this odd reality; although, she was nothing if not stubborn and she wasn't about to reveal her nervousness to this Alternate-April.

"He's with the guys and my friend, Irma, Caprice; is it alright if I call you Caprice?" April gave the younger woman a warm smile.

"I don't mind," Kathy agreed, inwardly cursing whoever told Leo her middle name; she had an inkling of it being a certain Guardian of hers, one of the nights that he got drunk with Raph.

"Your friend, Lee, was awfully concerned about you; he seems very protective," the auburn haired reporter, although Kathy wasn't aware of that fact, grinned suggestively.

Hazel eyes bulged in disbelief and she had to fight with herself to not gag; she didn't get along with Leo well in most cases, they usually were politely civil to please their friends and families, and to think of him in a romantic light… Kathy couldn't even think about it without feeling sick to her stomach and she was certain he felt the same way. "Well, we've been through a lot and, right now, we're the only support one another have," she answered, successfully avoiding any form of a lie; it was true. The two of them had been through a lot, and they were the only familiarity the other one had in this strange alternate. She swiftly changed the subject, "Who were those mutant turtles who found us?" She had a thirst to confirm her suspicions.

Her suspicions proved true, but she was still shocked when April informed her, "Well, they're the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; I'm surprised you haven't heard of them before."

"Oh?"

April smiled, petting the girl's hand, "They're all over the news; they're New York's resident heroes, you know. Come on, I'll introduce them to you." She carefully helped Kathy to her feet, wrapping a supportive arm around the girl's waist as she led her to a living room. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Caprice Speedle; Caprice, these are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's easiest to tell who is who by the bandanas: Blue is Leonardo, Purple is Donatello, Orange is Michaelangelo, and Red is Raphael." She pointed to the mousy brown haired woman in a baggy blue sweater and pink skirt with glasses who gave a shy wave, "And that's my best friend, Irma Langinstein."

Leonardo came up to her with his brothers directly behind him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Caprice," he took her hand and she was unnerved when she saw the same shy spark in his eyes that she'd seen in her boyfriend's, Donnie, when they first met.

"Likewise, ah, Leonardo," Kathy smiled politely, allowing the young teen to lead her to a nearby chair.

"Is there anything we can get you, Dudette?" Michaelangelo asked, eager as ever to please.

"Some juice, if it's not too much trouble, Michaelangelo?" She answered after a moment of shock of seeing her boyfriend and his brothers as fifteen year olds.

"Not at all, Dudette!" Michaelangelo beamed, entering the kitchen.

Kathy glanced around and, when her gaze landed on Leo, who was sat on the floor in a meditation pose, she had to smile a little. "Le-oh, Lee?" She cringed a little at her near-slip when he opened an eye to look at her quizzically.

"Yes, Kat-Caprice?" She nearly laughed at his near-slip; her amusement must have shown on her face because the others looked at her in confusion, even as he gave her the same annoyed look he usually reserved for his youngest brother, Mikey, after he played a particularly childish prank.

She knew she had to choose her words carefully, "April said that you were concerned about me?"

Leo knew what she wasn't saying: _'What's wrong?'_

He replied just as carefully, "Of course I was worried; you usually don't faint at the sight of mutant turtles, so I thought that your head injury caused more damage than I originally thought."

Kathy mentally translated, being as good as Mikey was at reading people: _'Donnie would use me as his next live test-subject if I were to let anything happen to you; we have to talk. I think I have a plan.'_

"Alright. April, do you know of any cheap hotels nearby that we could rent a room or two?" She asked the Alternate.

"Not anything particularly cheap. Don't you have any where to stay?"

"No, we just arrived in town when we were driven into the sewers by some ninjas in black garb," Leo replied for his companion, hoping that the Foot were in this Universe as well.

"The Foot Clan!" The young Turtles shouted in unison as Michaelangelo returned to the living room with a glass of red juice which smelt fruity when he handed it to Kathy.

The two Dimension-Jumpers shared a look. "I think I heard of them; they originate from Japan, right?" Kathy went out on a limb.

"That's right," Donatello answered, peering at them quizzically. "Are you two Ninja, as well?"

"Lee is a Master Swordsman and practioner of Ninjutsu, along with being a strict follower of the Bushido code of Honour," she supplied, repeating what she'd been told by Leo's Sensei and father Splinter.

"What about you, Caprice?" Leonardo looked at her, smiling.

She shifted uncomfortably, "I'm a Nikyu in Karate, which is Second Kyu. I've been practicing since I was nine."

Raphael whistled, "Impressive. Nine ranks up from Tenth Kyu. That's Brown Belt, right?"

"Yes," Kathy replied, surprised that he knew. "One of my cousins in, ah, Japan paid for my tutoring so far. I know no Ninjutsu, although it is an interesting Art."

"Why don't you stay with us?" Michaelangelo blurted; Kathy peeked over at Leo out of the corner of her eyes and grinned when she saw the amusement on his face at this Alternate of his youngest brother being nearly the same as their Mikey.

Leo nodded in agreement, "If you and anyone living with you don't mind, Michaelangelo; it would be wiser for us to conserve what little money we have, if we can."

"I'm sure Master Splinter won't mind; maybe you can give us some tips to improve, Lee?" Leonardo asked, always eager to improve.

Leo looked over at Kathy and they shared a, surprisingly, warm smile; despite this odd reality, they felt like they weren't quite as Alien to this World as they first thought. "Sure; it would be the least I could do, with your generosity."

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Kathy glanced up as Leo walked into the kitchen, looking like he was trying to sort something through in his mind. "Leo-, uh, Lee?" She winced; despite the two of them being in this Alternate Reality for about a week, she still had a hard time lying especially since the Young Turtles were being so hospitable. April had even found some old clothes that didn't fit her any more and was more than happy to give them to the chestnut haired girl when she found out about her lack of clothes; if she thought it odd, she never said anything. April was actually going to take her shopping downtown with her friend, Irma, later that day.

"Yes, Caprice?" Unlike his companion, Leo had no problems with the small lies they used in this Alternate.

"I was wondering if you would be able to show me some more Intermediate Katas today?" She ventured tentatively; they'd slowly began to build a tentative friendship and Leo, when she'd asked to be able to join in on the training sessions he had with the Young Turtles, had been surprised but willing to teach her. If she hadn't been a student of Karate for the past ten years, it would've been impossible for her to be able to understand the basics after a few days, but she was a fast learner and extremely stubborn; she thought that it was the fact that she was both a Speedle and a Jones, both of which were well-known for their stubbornness and determination.

"Alright; I think you're ready to step up from the Basics," he mused, walking over to the cabinet and getting some cereal and a bowl, retrieving the milk from the fridge before he sat down across from her.

She gave him a look, which he just smiled at, "A serious Practioner never moves away from the Basics, they just build on them."

"Very good, my Student," he praised, smiling at her in a warmer manner than he did back in their own World. "I've noticed that you know a number of the Basics and only needed to practice them a few times?"

"I watched your father teach you and your brothers from the stairs," she admitted, sipping her hot chocolate quietly. "Out of all of you, you're the most serious of the Art."

"One must be the best if they hold any hope of protecting their family and friends from those who seek to harm them," he intoned wisely.

Kathy looked down into her cup of hot chocolate, contemplating something. Leo just sat quietly, knowing her well enough by that point to know that she was going to say something that she wouldn't normally say. "Lee, why did we never get along back home?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, not looking at her. "I think it was because we came from such different worlds and suddenly we were thrown together… we just never took the time to get to know each other, I suppose." She nodded, thinking quietly on what he'd said.

"I wonder how the others are doing?" She changed the subject abruptly, surprising him.

Leo shook his head, "I don't know; hopefully, they're okay."

Kathy let a smile slip onto her face, "I've told you before; you won't always be there to hold their hands through everything thrown their way. Have some Faith, Leo-" He gave her a warning look at her slip-up and she flushed, feeling like the proverbial five year old who took a cookie without asking. Despite this, she ploughed on, "They're smart; I bet that, even now, they're building something to find us here… where ever here is, that is." She thought a moment, before shaking her head, "They can take care of themselves; just trust in them and you'll be surprised."

Leo was about to reply, when Leonardo came rushing into the kitchen, "Caprice, Lee, we have a problem."

Instantly, the two were on their feet. "What's wrong, Leonardo?" Leo took the lead.

"Michaelangelo's missing, along with Master Splinter!"

To be continued…

_Authoress' Notes: Well, there's Chapter Two of QTi1990. I hope everyone liked it. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a Review, Private Message them to me, or Email me; my email can be found in my Profile, under the "Email" link. I have the Third Chapter partially typed up; I'm hoping to update again in another week or so. The Kathy Chronicles has become my number one project, so you'll probably find a number of stories in the Chronicles, until I run out of ideas or what-have-you. _

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


	3. Two Leos Equals A Headache Part II

_Authoress' Notes: Here's chapter three of QTi1990; it's seven pages, so I hope everyone likes it. It's a bit of a slow-moving chapter, but it needs to be for what's coming up next. A huge thanks to my AshK, randomlass, and Ted (anonymous). You three are awesome!_

_**I've talked it over with my Donnie-advisor (Kat, a.k.a. randomlass) and I decided to do a story showing what Leo and Kathy's families and friends are going through in their absence. I'm hoping to have the first chapter up sometime next week, so be on the lookout for "Quality Time In 2007"!**_

_I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and, if Leo is still a little OOC, it's slightly on purpose. Please R&R!_

_**Story Dedication: To my fellow TMNT fan and close E-Pal, Kat a.k.a. randomlass. Girl, I'm glad you like it so far!**_

Chapter Three: Two Leos Equals A Headache - Part II

Leo was about to reply, when Leonardo came rushing into the kitchen, "Caprice, Lee, we have a problem."

Instantly, the two were on their feet. "What's wrong, Leonardo?" Leo took the lead.

"Michaelangelo's missing, along with Master Splinter!"

Leo questioned his Alternate, "What do you mean, Michaelangelo's missing, as is Master Splinter?"

Seeing that the Younger Turtle was on the verge of panicking, Kathy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly, yet compellingly, even as she kept eye contact with him, "Leonardo, take a deep breath and tell us what happened; we can't do anything until we know for sure what's going on."

Leonardo looked into her pleading hazel eyes and did as bid; Kathy almost smiled at this, since Leo hardly, if ever, did something someone other than his Father told him to do. "Raphael, Donatello, Michaelangelo, Master Splinter, and I were in the middle of our morning run, when we were ambushed by Shredder and his goons, Bebop and Rocksteady. Master Splinter and the Shredder started fighting, while my brothers and I were fighting with Bebop and Rocksteady; the last thing I remember before waking up, along with Raphael and Donatello, on top of the apartment building we were fighting on, was the Shredder tossing down a smoke pellet."

Leo nodded, thinking on it carefully, "Do you know where this… Shredder has his Headquarters, Leonardo?"

"Dimension X, Lee; why?"

"We're going to need a way in, if we want to get your Sensei and youngest brother back, Leonardo," Leo responded, his mind already sorting through the possibilities.

Kathy sighed, knowing that, as usual, Leo was going to come up with a plan himself; he was a natural Leader, but, sometimes, she felt that he should value the opinions of the others when it came to planning things. Her gaze wandered a bit, before her eyes lit up as they landed on something. She turned to the two blue bandanad Turtles, "Guys, I think I have a plan… but it's going to a bit of fine-tuning and we're going to need a few things from Donatello's Lab."

Leonardo immediately gave her his full attention and smiled at her, that almost adoring spark back in his eyes; she had seen that look on his face a lot the past few days and it unnerved her a bit more than it should have. "What did you have in mind, Caprice?"

"A little bit of deception, a touch of ingenuity, and a ton of "Turtle Power"," she grinned, knowing how that phrase annoyed Leo; she was satisfied when Leo gave her his famous "look". She turned fully to Leo, "Most importantly, a whole lot of Ninja-ing, Lee-style." She was proud of herself; she didn't slip up on his alias for once.

Leo crossed his arms over his plastron, "Let's hear it, Caprice."

"First, we need Donatello, Raphael, and those Neutrino friends Michaelangelo told us about…" Kathy answered, turning to Leonardo during the last part of the sentence.

"Consider it already done," Leonardo agreed, racing off to gather his other two brothers and his friends.

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"Could ya be a little easier on the tricks, Lady?" Raphael grumped at the driver; he and his other two brothers, Leonardo and Donatello, were handcuffed in the back of the flying convertible.

"Sorry, but I've never actually driven before… or, at least, not legally," the presently black haired girl driving replied, causing the three Young Turtles to exchange slightly frightened looks. She swerved sharply to avoid a section of trees.

She winced when a familiar voice came over the earpiece that was in her ear, hidden by her newly-coloured hair. "_Kat- Caprice, if those three fall out of the car, then the plan will be shot all to shell,_" Leo berated her lightly.

"Sorry, Leo- crap!" She yelped as she lost control of the car and it was pulled forward, vibrating. "Hang on, guys!"

"We're being pulled in by a very powerful magnet!" Donatello exclaimed.

Giving up on trying to control the car, Kathy looked back at him and his two older brothers, "How do you know, Donatello?"

"Because there's a very big magnet that's pointed our way," Donatello replied calmly, pointing to said magnet which was raised from the top of what the Young Turtles informed Leo and Kathy as being the Technodrome.

"Ah, that explains it," she nodded, attempting to look sage; the snicker from Raphael told her that she'd failed and she shook her head, smiling.

"Are Lee, Zak, Dask, and Kala in place, Caprice?" Leonardo asked.

"Knowing Lee, they were probably in place several minutes ago," Kathy muttered. "He's bossy, yet effective, like that."

"_I heard that, Caprice._"

"I know," she answered cheekily. "Is everyone ready to do it to it?"

"We're ready when you are, Captain!" Raphael replied, sounding like a pirate; Kathy couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, seeing as he was acting more like Mikey was wont to act than how Raph acted. _Although, _she admitted to herself reminiscently, _Raph does have his moments; too bad he doesn't show it to his family._

"_All's cool on our end, Hip Cats,_" Zak, one of the Neutrino friends of the Young Turtles who they'd recruited to help out, replied over the headset.

"Good, 'cause we're in," Kathy sighed as the car hit the magnet, stuck and was slowly taken into the ship. She placed a haughty look on her face, hoping that the Shredder wouldn't see through it, and Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello adopted annoyance mixed with anger. They landed with a bump on a raised platform and the Shredder, looking far less fearsome than what she knew the Shredder of her Reality did before he was killed, stalked up to her with what looked like an Utrom in an exo-suit that vaguely resembled a hulking human and two Mutants. _The Warthog is Bebop and the Rhino is Rocksteady,_ she silently identified them, based on the information the Young Turtles told her and Leo in order for them to help with the rescue. _The Utrom-look-a-like must be Krang._

Stepping lightly out of the car, she stood in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest. The Shredder looked her up and down, taking in the Shinobi Shozoku (_A/N: __Traditional Ninja Outfit, basically._) she wore which was the semi-traditional dark red; to top it off, she had a dark red mask which covered the lower half of her face. "Why have you commandeered my transportation? You very nearly made me lose my cargo." She demanded in a haughty tone, laced with annoyance, "Do you not know who I am?"

"I don't think you know who you're dealing with, girl," Shredder replied snappily.

Her eyes narrowed, "Oh, I am well aware of who you are, Oroku Saki. I am also well aware that you have lowered yourself to work for one of a lesser station than yourself."

The Shredder was about to snap at her when Krang spotted the "cargo" she spoke of. "The Turtles! She has the Turtles!"

"I do. Do you have business with them?" Kathy was careful to keep her tone haughty and aloof; while she wasn't good at lying, she was able to school her expression and voice when she wasn't lying, thanks to her being in Drama Club at her High School.

"I don't believe that this… slip of a girl could capture the Turtles, Krang," the Shredder glared at her; she had to fight not to snicker at how ridiculous he looked and settled for glaring right back, although her glare was more haughty than menacing.

"Shredder, shut up," Krang commanded. He turned to the black-haired "ninja", "I do; those Turtles have been a constant thorn in my side for the past three years."

"What is it to me? They are under my… ah, supervision," she allowed a smirk to curl her lips.

"Perhaps we can come to a mutual agreement. I have the fourth Turtle and the Rat that trained them in my holding chambers; if you'd like to, you may put your three with them and then we can sit down and come to a business agreement that may benefit both of us. What is your name?"

"Kagome Higurashi," Kathy replied, inwardly wincing at how slow it came out. "I hail from Japanata, a planet in this System that is remarkably similar to that of Japan on Earth. And yours?" She raised an eyebrow at him, sounding bored.

"You may call me Krang."

"If I agree to this… meeting, will it be quick? I have places I must be," she studied her nails, seemingly indifferent.

"Of course, Ms. Higurashi," Krang agreed eagerly.

"Very well," Kathy sighed. "Lead the way, Krang; you, Turtles, come along." She gave a light tug on the chains which she held; the chain was attached to the metal bracelets around the Young Turtles' wrists. The three Young Turtles played along and glared at her and, inside, she winced, _If looks could kill… Krang would be dead every morning after looking in the mirror. _She grinned to herself at the last thought, _That was worthy of both Raph and Raphael._

The Young Turtles didn't say anything and kept their gazes to the ground, having finished glaring at her, whilst they trailed behind her as she followed Krang and his goons to where she knew Michaelangelo and Splinter were. "_Keep moving, Caprice; we're just above you,_" Leo's voice whispered in her ear. "_Are you clear on what you have to do?_"

She just nodded, knowing he could see her and not wanting to risk speaking, no matter how lowly she spoke. "Is this where you keep all of your prisoners or are these Turtles simply "special"?" She goaded Krang as they reached a large steel door.

"They have escaped me before, I am loathe to allow them to again, Ms. Higurashi," Krang snapped at her, gesturing to Shredder. "Shredder, input the code so we can add three more Turtles to our collection." The Shredder glared at her as he passed and she watched as he punched in a code into a panel by the door.

"You have visitors," Shredder stated simply to the orange bandanad Turtle and brown Rat who were chained to the wall.

"Master Splinter!"

"Michaelangelo!" The three handcuffed Turtles yelped, seemingly attempting to run to them when Kathy "roughly pulled" the chain and they "stumbled" backwards.

Michaelangelo and Splinter gave the group a surprised look, but relaxed when Kathy winked at them from behind Krang and Shredder. "You may leave the Turtles here, Ms. Higurashi," Krang gestured for her to leave the room; she was observant enough to notice the knowing and expectant look in his eyes mixed with the eagerness, and decided to go along with it.

"I think not; not until I have seen more of these Chambers," Kathy replied tartly, stepping into the room with the three older Young Turtles following behind her. She paused in the middle of the room, and gazed around; she nodded as she saw a shadow dart towards Splinter and Michaelangelo out of the corner of her eyes. She turned to Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Robotisized Foot Ninja that now swarmed the room. "You know, if I wasn't expecting this, I'd be feeling very double-crossed," she commented idly as the handcuffs fell away from the Young Turtles' wrists with a swift yank, hitting one of the Ninja and sending it flying, even as the four of them got into defensive stances.

"It was a trick!" Shredder declared, sounding triumphant.

"Very observant, Oroku Saki," Splinter chuckled as he and Michaelangelo joined the other four.

"You've just noticed?" Raphael asked snippily as Leo detached himself from the shadows, standing to Kathy's left and just a bit ahead of her.

"Another Turtle?!" Krang exclaimed, in what Kathy dubbed to be surprise and horror; obviously he wasn't expecting yet another Ninja Turtle.

"We don't need another Turtle to defeat you, Shredder," Leo unsheathed his Twin Katana.

"Or to out-wit you, either," Leonardo added.

"Yeah, dude, all we need is a little bit of-" Michaelangelo started and his brothers, along with, surprisingly, Leo, added their voices.

"Turtle Power!"

Kathy winced at the sheer volume. "My ears…"

The Foot Ninja chose that time to attack and separated the group. As six Robo-Ninjas came towards her, she got herself ready; unfortunately, she didn't get a chance when four Katana blocked the attack. She very nearly growled at the two blue bandanad Turtles when they turned to her, "Caprice, stay behind us."

"I can fight!" She ground out.

"We don't want you to get hurt, Caprice!"

"Then… let… me… **fight**," Kathy replied, emphasising each word with a kick or punch to a Ninja that snuck up on her; on "fight" she stiffed her arm and slashed at "him" hard enough that "he" flew into a wall and exploded.

"Fine, Caprice," Leonardo agreed reluctantly.

"Just be **careful**," Leo emphasised "careful" with a knowing tone.

"Careful's my not-so-middle name," she retorted, groaning when both gave her "yeah, right; since when?" looks.

_Note to self, two Leos equals a headache,_ Kathy thought to herself, even as she joined the fray; she knew two sets of watchful brown eyes were keeping her in their sight.

To be continued…

_Authoress' Notes: Okay, so there's chapter three of QTi1990. I have a bit of chapter four typed up, but not much. I'm still planning to have it up next week, though; I'm actual getting good at this "updating" thing. Lol. _

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


	4. New Bonds And Revelations

_Authoress' Notes: Okay, okay, I know I promised to have this up three months ago, but there's been some huge changes in my Life; the main one being my promotion at work, meaning more hours. I could make excuses galore, but I'm not going to; I just hope that you all enjoy reading this chapter, 'cause it took forever to write. I kept finding little things wrong with it, and even now I'm not entirely happy with it, but I figured that you all waited long enough, so here it is._

_A huge thanks goes out to my two awesome reviewers, who've been ever faithful to my stories: randomlass and AshK. Your support is what keeps the stories strong!_

_**Story Dedication: To my fellow TMNT fan and close E-Pal, Kat a.k.a. randomlass. Girl, I'm glad you like it so far!**_

_Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any familiar characters. Mirage Studios, along with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird are the original owners of our favourite Turtles. I do own Kathy Jones, any unfamiliar characters (well, a few… just read to see), this plot, and this fic. R&R and enjoy!_

Chapter Four: New Bonds and Revelations

"We don't want you to get hurt, Caprice!"

"Then… let… me… **fight**," Kathy replied, emphasising each word with a kick or punch to a Ninja that snuck up on her; on "fight" she stiffed her arm and slashed at "him" hard enough that "he" flew into a wall and exploded.

"Fine, Caprice," Leonardo agreed reluctantly.

"Just be **careful**," Leo emphasised "careful" with a knowing tone.

"Careful's my not-so-middle name," she retorted, groaning when both gave her "yeah, right; since when?" looks.

_Note to self, two Leos equals a headache,_ Kathy thought to herself, even as she joined the fray; she knew two sets of watchful brown eyes were keeping her in their sight.

Somehow, she became back-to-back with Splinter and the two fought together. She found that, unlike Her Splinter, he used much more power behind his attacks. Unfortunately for Kathy, she became so focused on who she was fighting in front of her that, when she separated from Splinter, she left her back unguarded. One of the few Human Foot Soldiers took full advantage of this and easily knocked her to the ground before straddling her waist with his Sai at her throat. "Make a single sound, and I will not show you mercy, Higurashi," he breathed into her ear and she shivered in disgust, unable to move as she saw Leonardo and Leo come up behind him.

She stiffened as Leo growled, "Touch what is my brother's and I'll kill you myself, Foot Ninja." This said, he tackled him off of his genius brother's presently black-haired girlfriend.

Kathy gasped as the Foot's Sai nicked her throat; it wasn't deep, but it still drew blood. She didn't protest as Raphael swooped down on her prone form and easily picked her up in his strong arms; while neither Raph nor Raphael were the tallest in their families, they were the strongest and the short Kunoichi-In-Training weighed next to nothing to the two red bandanad Turtles. "My Students, I believe it is time for us to make our exit," Splinter knocked several Ninja away easily.

"Of course, Master Splinter," Leonardo agreed. "Lee, we have to leave!"

"Come near her, and I will not hesitate to kill you," Leo growled so lowly only the pummelled Ninja under him was able to hear him, before he back-flipped expertly to land beside the Young Turtles.

Three flying convertibles entered through a hole in the wall that had been created by the numerous robot-Foot that had been thrown at it. "Come on, Hip Cats!" One of the drivers, pink haired Zak, called as he honked his horn.

"Yeah, let's blow this joint!" Purple haired Dask exclaimed.

"Cowabunga, dudes and dudettes!" Michelangelo agreed as he hopped into the front seat beside the pretty orange haired Neutrino, Kala, much to his brother's amusement.

Kathy allowed herself to be carried and placed onto an unfamiliar lap. She blinked blearily, seeing Leo's concerned face swim into view even as she felt pressure applied to her neck. She struggled to fight against the unconsciousness that attempted to reel her in until she felt the cool feel of his reptilian hand on her forehead and his surprisingly soothing voice wash over her, "Sleep, Imouto (_A/N: "Imouto" is Japanese for "Little Sister"; I was just too lazy to add the "-chan" to the end… lol._); we'll be back to the Lair before you know it…" The last thing she saw was the sparkle of pride in his dark brown irises before she allowed her consciousness to slip away.

When she next opened her eyes, she found herself tucked securely into what she figured to be Leonardo's bed by the tidiness of the room. She was about to sit up when she felt a gentle hand laid on her shoulder and looked up into Leonardo's relieved, yet strangely saddened, brown eyes. "Le-Leo?" As she was not quite lucid, she was unable to tell the difference between her boyfriend's brother and his look-a-like; the headache that was pounding behind her eyelids didn't help matters much, either.

He frowned, "No, I'm Leonardo. Caprice, you've been unconscious with a fever for the last twenty-eight hours." Her hazel eyes widened in surprise and her heart nearly stopped at his next question, "Caprice, who are you and Lee and why have you been lying to us?"

"I- Leonardo," her voice became pleading. "Please, I- I don't know if I can-"

He cut her off, "I've heard Lee calling you Kathy and you calling him Leo when you two think no one's around. What is it you are hiding from us?"

When Kathy's eyes reluctantly met his, she saw heartbreak and broken trust. _If Leo and I are to ever get Home, we're going to need all the help we can get, _she silently reasoned with herself. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she took a small drink of the water he handed her and began her story, "You're right; Lee and I have been lying. It was because we weren't sure if we could trust you or the others." She was grateful when he allowed her to continue without interruption and she continued quietly, wondering why she felt… wrong. "To start with, my name isn't really Caprice Speedle; it's Katherine Caprice Jones, but I prefer to be called Kathy. Lee's real name is Leonardo Hamato, or just Leo to his friends and family."

This time, Leonardo did interrupt her, "That is impossible! Leonardo Hamato is my name!"

She gave a small smile and nodded, "I know, Leonardo; but it's not as impossible as one would think. Leo and I… we're not even from this World. We're from an Alternate Reality to your own; when we landed here, we weren't sure where we even were until we ran across you, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo and then everything clicked into place like a puzzle."

He was quiet for a moment, "Is… is that why you've acted odd around me? Because you're dating Lee, er, Leo?" He hastened, "Because, Capr- ah, Katherine, I really like you."

Kathy choked a little bit on her water, having taken the moment to take a drink; on one hand, she was surprised as anything, but on the other she'd suspected that the Young Leader hoped for more than just a friendship with her. "Leonardo, that's not it at all," she fumbled with her answer, never being one who ever wanted to hurt, however inadvertently, the feelings of someone she knew. "Leo and I… we just started being friends after the first day here; before that, we were always fighting." She saw hope spark to life in his eyes and knew that she had to hurry, or else he might do something they would both regret, "Leonardo, I'm dating someone right now."

"Oh," Leonardo murmured, feeling utterly ridiculous. "Is it anyone I would know?"

She winced, hearing the hidden steel in his voice, "More or less, yes."

"Who is it?" Now, he was curious, although he tried to ignore the hurt that rejection caused.

"My World's version of Donatello," she replied, sighing longingly as she thought of her genius boyfriend, even as she attempted to ignore her headache.

"I have one question," Leonardo said quietly. "If I may, that is."

"I owe you that much, Leonardo."

"Do you love him?"

Kathy knew she couldn't lie and told him gently, "I do; I never knew what I was missing in my life before I met him and it was intrigue at first sight and then love after only several days of meeting him and his brothers. You actually remind me of Donnie, which is what we call him; he's soft-spoken, smart, and someone who will defend those close to him until the very end, no matter what it takes."

"So, he's not like my Donatello?" He was amazed at this revelation.

She thought for a moment on how to phrase her answer, her brain struggling to come up with the answer, "Yes and no; Donnie is the genius in his family and loves tinkering with his machines and various inventions, but he's also very personable and embraces new people and challenges with warmth, as opposed to being a little aloof and cool when dealing with a non-Mutant."

"What about my brothers? Who do they remind you of?"

"Raphael reminds me of Mikey, which is my Michelangelo, with just a bit of Raph's attitude thrown in. Michelangelo reminds me of a sugar-high Mikey… and, believe it or not, Donatello reminds me of Leo with the exception being that Donatello isn't as into Ninjitsu." She paused when she moved her headache and it felt like it exploded.

Leonardo noticed her wince a bit and place her hand to her forehead, "Are you alright, Ca- Katherine?"

"I have the hugest headache," Kathy replied, not objecting as he gently took her hand and moved it so he could feel her forehead himself.

Almost immediately, he pulled his hand back, "You're burning up! I'll be right back," he took off for the kitchen and came back with a bowl of cold water with some ice in it and a washcloth. "Did your headache just start, Katherine?"

She would have shook her head, but it was now pounding too much for any form of movement. "No, it's been there since I woke up; I'm just so used to headaches that it takes a lot for me to react to them. Why?"

"I am not sure, but I think there might have been poison on that sword that cut your throat," Leonardo answered as he busied himself with bathing her face and throat with the chilled water, with her having laid back down.

"Ooh, crap," she groaned, using the mildest curse word that came to mind; and she knew quite a few considering her best "guy" friend and her Guardian swore at each other quite a lot. "Why do these things happen to me?" She wondered, not expecting an answer.

"Because you're stubborn to a fault and always end up in trouble?" Leo supplied, stepping out from the shadows and revealing himself to his Alternate and friend.

"Leo, I'm not feeling up to a fight right now," Kathy told him, wincing as her neck began to go numb from the coldness of the cloth that Leonardo kept there as he stared at Leo.

"You really are an older me, aren't you, Lee?" He asked, noticing for the first time that Leo looked almost exactly like him with the exception of several scars and things identified with being a few years older (_A/N: Remember, Leo's nineteen in this, since Kathy's eighteen, going on nineteen in a few months._).

"Yes, I am; and, as Kathy already told you, you can call me Leo, Leonardo." Leo's features seemed to furrow for a moment as he looked at Kathy, "Katherine, you're as white as a ghost… you're going to the Hospital."

Kathy mustered up a glare, "No, I'm not, Leonardo; you're not Casey, so you can't order me around like you do the guys."

"I am your Sensei, Katherine… and you're friend. Please; if Donnie finds out that you got hurt and I didn't take proper care of it, he'll use me in his next experiment."

"I'm afraid that taking young Ms. Jones to the Hospital is going to be the least of your worries, Turtles," a somewhat familiar voice cackled and the two Leonardos turned around to see someone who looked strikingly similar to Karai.

"K-Karai?" Leo stared.

Even though her mind wasn't working quite as swift as it normally did, Kathy noticed one subtle difference, "Leo, her eyes are black; didn't you once say that Karai's were a dark brown?"

"Hm, you may turn out to be a worthy Ally, Ms. Jones," the woman smiled; her smile was cold and chilled Kathy to the bone.

Leonardo took a protective stance in front of Kathy, "What do you want with Katherine, Lotus Blossom?"

"The girl travelled through several Dimensions to get to this one; she will, as you Americans say, lead the way back to my Home," Lotus Blossom, as Leonardo called her, sneered. "Now, move Leonardo; I shall detest having to harm you or your Double."

"Ta get ta any of 'em, yer goin' ta have ta go through us, first, Lotus," Raphael's heavy Brooklyn accent came from behind her and she whirled just in time to have Donatello's Bo staff trip her.

"An' through us, too," everyone looked to the side and saw four sights for sore eyes, as they say.

"D-Donnie?" Kathy whispered, seeing her boyfriend and his two other brothers, along with her cousin and Guardian, Casey Jones. This turn of events proved to be too much for her mind to handle and it shut down; Kathy slumped back onto the mattress in a dead faint.

To be continued…

_Authoress' Notes: So, there it is; I'm starting work on chapter five, but I make no promises about when I'll next update with the exception being a cute Donnie/Kathy one-shot based around their first Christmas Eve together. I hope everyone enjoyed! _

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


	5. Together Again

_Authoress' Notes: Gods, it's taken me __**so**__ long to get this chapter up! To my loyal readers and my even more loyal reviewers: I am __**so very sorry**__ it took so long to update. I haven't updated this story in… (checks and winces) Ouch, seven months and haven't posted anything in three. Double ouch. So, um, yeah; this is a really long chapter, so I hope this'll at least partially make up for the super-late update._

_Special thanks to FantasyFan17, randomlass, and AshK; you guys are so awesome!_

_**Story Dedication: To Donnie's other Kathy, randomlass; thanks so much for your continued support for the Kathy Chronicles, Kat!**_

_Disclaimer: No, I do not own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass, before anyone asks); the rest belong to Mirage Studios (I think…), but definitely Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse._

_**Note: Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and Casey from '07 are going to be referred to as such, while the ones from the '90s are going to be referred to as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael to avoid confusion as to who's talking.**_

Chapter Five: Together Again

Leonardo took a protective stance in front of Kathy, "What do you want with Katherine, Lotus Blossom?"

"The girl travelled through several Dimensions to get to this one; she will, as you Americans say, lead the way back to my Home," Lotus Blossom, as Leonardo called her, sneered. "Now, move Leonardo; I shall detest having to harm you or your Double."

"Ta get ta any of 'em, yer goin' ta have ta go through us, first, Lotus," Raphael's heavy Brooklyn accent came from behind her and she whirled just in time to have Donatello's Bo staff trip her.

"An' through us, too," everyone looked to the side and saw four sights for sore eyes, as they say.

"D-Donnie?" Kathy whispered, seeing her boyfriend and his two other brothers, along with her cousin and Guardian, Casey Jones. This turn of events proved to be too much for her mind to handle and it shut down; Kathy slumped back onto the mattress in a dead faint.

"Why does she always faint just before it gets to the good part?" Casey asked rhetorically.

"Because she's madly in love with me and thinks I'm the hottest - oww, Raph!" The orange-masked one, who Leonardo figured to be Mikey, whined. Leonardo hid a smirk when the purple masked one, who he assumed correctly to be Donnie, reached over with his Bo Staff and knocked his younger brother on the head, "Ouch, Donnie!"

"You deserved that, Mikey," Leo said patiently, fighting to keep the grin of relief off of his face.

"What in the world?" Donatello breathed, absentmindedly knocking Lotus out cold with his Bo as he stared in disbelief at the three near-mirror images.

"Dudes, it's like totally looking into a mirror! Except, y'know," Michelangelo finished in a whisper, "they're **old**."

"Is it just me or does this seem like a badly-done cross-over?" Raphael seemed to muse to himself (_1 - see A/N at the end_).

"Dude, and people call me the dumb one?" Michelangelo snickered; the four new comers were surprised when Raphael merely rolled his eyes at his younger brother.

"Y'know, Michelangelo, maybe we wouldn't call ya dumb if ya actually said somethin' that made sense once in a while, Pizza-Head," Raphael retorted good-naturedly.

"Bro, I do say things that make sense," Michelangelo protested. "Like now; I say we have pizza while we wait for the Dudette to wake up from her nap."

"I think we may have landed ourselves in an Alternate Version of our Dimension…" Donnie thought out loud as he moved towards Kathy, only to be intercepted by Raphael.

"You ain't goin' near Caprice until we know who you are," Raphael told him, getting into a typical defensive stance.

"They're my Brothers, Raphael; and, Don, you're right. We are in an Alternate to our World," Leo interceded.

"I knew that there was something familiar about you," Donatello seemed to come to a conclusion. "You're an older Leonardo, aren't you, Lee?"

"I am," Leo agreed. He bowed, "My name is Leonardo, but you may call me Leo. Caprice's name is actually Katherine Jones. These are my Brothers: Michelangelo, best known as Mikey, Raphael, mainly called Raph, and Donatello, known commonly as Donnie," he deliberately left out the fact that his second youngest brother was dating Kathy. "And I'm certain you recognize the guy with the sack of sports equipment."

"Can't be none other than Casey Jones by the look of 'im," Raphael agreed.

"That's right; although he isn't nearly the fanatic you know and love," this time, Leo did smirk. He and Kathy had had the unique experience of meeting the Dimension's Casey Jones; needless to say, Kathy found it to be hysterically hilarious to see that her Cousin and Guardian to have such a one-track mind that didn't include April and sex.

"How do we know that they won't hurt 'er, eh?" Raphael asked.

"Donnie, as they call him, is dating Capri- er, Katherine, Raphael," Leonardo answered and, that said, his brother nodded and stepped aside, allowing Donnie to rush to his girlfriend's side.

With a look of confusion, as from further away her hair had looked its normal colour, he noticed the change in her hair colouring. "Did she dye her hair?" He wondered aloud, gently fingering a strand.

"A few days ago, Don; it should grow out within a month or two," Leo explained what they'd been doing that had her dye her hair.

"Hey, look at it on the bright side, Bro; it'll be like you're sleeping with a different chick each- oww, Raph! Case!" Mikey yelped as both Raph and Casey gave him a "thwack" on the back of his head.

"Mikey, could you please keep your perverted fantasies to yourself?" Leo sighed, rubbing his head as he felt an all-too-familiar headache forming.

"You gotta admit, Dude; the Dudette's one hot Butt-kicking… well, Dudette," Michelangelo pointed out. "I mean, have you seen her? One time we accidentally knocked down the ba-"

"That's not the point, Michelangelo," Leonardo interrupted; his brothers didn't fail to notice the blush that coloured his green skin, and neither did the Dimension-Jumpers. "She woke up with a headache and a high fever," he explained to Donnie, who turned to him when he began to speak. "She said that she'd had the headache since she woke up and, when I asked her why she didn't mention it, she said she gets headaches often."

Donnie nodded in agreement, "She does; we think it's due to her still adjusting to the elevated Northern climate in New York, compared to the relatively Southern climate of Miami, Florida. Do you know why she has a fever, Leonardo?" To check for himself, his hand lightly caressed her forehead and a frown appeared between his brow at how hot her skin felt.

He gave the older Turtle a guilty look and answered, "Well, when we were rescuing Michelangelo and Sensei from Krang and the Shredder, Katherine was attacked by one of the few Human Foot Soldiers and we think his Sai may have had some form of poison on it."

Donnie immediately went into what his girlfriend referred to as "Doctor Don" mode, "How long ago was this?"

Donatello stepped forward, "Approximately thirty hours ago."

A thoughtful look came to Donnie's face, "It's not too late to act, then. Donatello, do you have a Lab around here where I can make a synthetic antidote and run a few tests to see what exactly we're dealing with?"

"Of course," Donatello looked affronted that anything less would be accepted from him.

"Raph, I need you to take a sample of her blood while I get set up; the vial and needle should be in my Med Bag," Donnie told his older brother.

"Fine; but if yer girlfriend wakes up and attacks me, I ain't gonna be nice this time," Raph warned in his Brooklyn accent, rifling through his brother's Med Bag and coming out with a syringe, alcohol pad, and a vial.

"Just don't let Mikey wake her up this time and you should be fine," he replied, following his Alternate out of the room.

Raph silently took Kathy's limp arm in his own and quickly swabbed the juncture of her inner elbow with the pad before he stuck the needle in her arm and drew a vial of blood; he smirked as, the moment he withdrew the needle from her arm, she jolted awake. "G'mornin', Sleepin' Beauty."

"I have to be dreamin'," Kathy mumbled, placing a hand to her head and falling back against the pillows. At that moment, she saw the needle and full vial of blood, and shrieked, "**Needle!**"

"Calm down, Kitten," Casey stepped forward.

She groaned, still keeping her eye warily on the needle, "So, I'm not dreaming, then."

Raphael was curious, "How do ya know ya ain't dreamin', Cap- Katherine?"

"'Cause none of my dreams ever have Casey, unless it's a nightmare and then he looks like he always does when he gets up first thing in the morning; and like a zombie, he tries to eat my brains."

Mikey nodded in agreement, "I had that nightmare a lot, too; especially after the "Resident Evil" movie we watched a couple weeks back."

She shivered, "Don't remind me; I couldn't sleep, so I did everything I could to tire myself out. In the end, I had to sleep in Raph's room since Donnie kicked me out, complaining that my hands were keeping him awake."

Casey's face looked blank, "Why would your hands-? Urgh, nasty mental image!" His face turned green when he realized exactly why her hands kept Donnie awake and he hurried out of the room; they heard him throw up in one of the garbage cans in the Lair. "You are grounded when we get home, young lady!"

"Hey, you alright, Kath?" Raph knelt at her side, peering into her glazed hazel eyes as she blinked.

"A little hazy, but I'll be fine, Raphie," Kathy gave him a small smile. "After all, what's a little bit of poison between friends? And, besides, this is nothing compared to the food poisoning I got a few weeks ago when Casey decided to try to cook a ham." True to form, Kathy tried to make a serious situation seem less serious and slightly humorous, even when she wasn't feeling anything like herself.

"I told you that it wasn't fully cooked, Beautiful," Donnie chided as he re-entered the room. "You were more than welcome to have some of the pizza we had ordered."

"You guys don't have to live with him; I'm the one that has to put up with all of his complaints about how no one would even try his food," she pointed out, her smile brightening as he came towards where she was being helped to a sitting position by Leo. "I missed you, Handsome," she whispered when he gently took her hand in his and sat at her side.

"I missed you, too, Beautiful," he kissed her forehead, neither noticing Leo and Leonardo ushering the others out of the room with Raphael dragging the still-unconscious Lotus Blossom with them. "When you and Leo disappeared… I didn't know what to do. I should have never let my guard down so much as to allow Hun to get the advantage over me." He gently caressed her face, as tears slowly trailed from his eyes, "I'm so sorry; if I had lost you, I don't know what I'd do…"

"Donnie," Kathy tried to get his attention. When that didn't work, she struggled closer to him and leaned against him, "It's alright; you and I both know that only Raph, and possibly Leo, could take Hun on in a fight and come out on top." She sighed, closing her eyes as she nuzzled his plastron, "It's not your fault; and, even if it was, I'd forgive you anyway… because I love you." Turning her head as much as she could without causing her neck to flare out with unbearable pain, she kissed his bare shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap, "I know; that just how you are." He gave her a tiny, worried smile, "And I love you, too." Kissing her hair, he confessed, "These past few days have been the longest in my life. I'm just ecstatic that you're back in my arms, relatively safe."

"Relative is such a… relatively boring term," she joked feebly. "And so damned **normal**; Handsome, can't you come up with some unique words to describe things? I mean, you **are** supposed to be the certified genius in your family."

"Be quiet," Donnie reprimanded gently, an amused smile playing about his lips. "Have I ever told you that you talk too much, Beautiful?"

"Once or twice, I think," Kathy smiled tiredly, sleepily leaning against his plastron. "I'm sorry, Don; I don't know why, but I'm **so**… tired…"

"It's an effect from your body fighting off whatever poison was on the Sai of the Foot Ninja who attacked you."

She flinched, "Oh, so Leo told you about that, then?"

When she wouldn't meet his eyes, he carefully gripped her chin and gently forced her to look him in the eyes; instead of the anger she'd thought she'd see in her boyfriend's eyes, all she saw was his constant love, devotion, and concern in their dark chocolate depths. "Before you even say it: I'm not mad at you, Kath. You did what you felt you had to do to help out your friends and Leo said that the plan probably wouldn't have gone so well if it hadn't been for your idea." He gently kissed her forehead before he helped her to lay her aching body down onto Leonardo's bed and tucked her in tenderly. "Get some sleep; the stronger your body is, the better it'll be able to fight against whatever is in your system." He placed a chaste kiss on her nose, just between her glazed eyes, "If you need me, you only need to shout, Beautiful."

"Donnie…" She sleepily grasped his three-fingered hand in her own, desperately wanting him to stay. "I… I love you, Don…" Unable to fight against unconsciousness any longer, she barely finishes her sentence before she's asleep.

Smiling slightly and lightly brushing a piece of her currently black hair away from her face, he whispers, "I love you, too, Katherine; more than you'll ever know… but I'll try my hardest to show it everyday." With a renewed sense of purpose, he strides out of the room, which is really just a large hole in the wall, and to where his family and their Alternates were talking quietly with a bound and gagged Lotus Blossom propped against a wall. "Raph, could you and Mikey watch over Kathy? She just fell asleep, and I don't want her to wake up alone."

"No problem, Donnie," Raph nodded in agreement.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Mikey to help me cook?" Michelangelo piped up. "Cooking for…" Silently, he counts the number of turtles and then makes the mental calculation, "Eight turtles, two people, and one rat is a big job; there's no way I'd be able to cook enough by myself, Dudes."

"I can sit with Katherine and Raph, so Mikey can help Michelangelo," Leonardo volunteered quietly.

With a nod from Donnie, Mikey grinned at his Alternate, "Alright, let's get to it, Mini-Me." Obligingly, Michelangelo led the way to the kitchen, the two youngest brothers chatting amiably.

"Donatello and I will be in the Lab if anyone needs us," Donnie told those remaining before he followed Donatello back to his Lab.

"What are we supposed to do?" Casey asked Leo, referring to themselves and Raphael as Raph and Leonardo re-entered Leonardo's room.

"I really don't know, Case," Leo shrugged, feeling left out with his second youngest brother giving orders.

"Well, there is Lotus Blossom that needs ta be taken care of…" Raphael trails off, a grin identical to the ones of the other two's faces breaking across his.

"Let's take out the trash, Boys," Casey chuckled in what sounded like a particularly ominous way.

"Someone's gotta do it, eh?" Raphael shrugged in what seemed to be nonchalance.

))) Three hours later… (((

"I. Hate. Needles," Kathy shuddered as her boyfriend took the needle out of her arm, having just given her a shot with the synthetic antidote he'd found; knowing her fear of needles, he'd wisely used his bandana to blind fold her. "Wha…" she paused as she yawned, "what's wrong with me?"

"I told you, Beautiful, the Antidote will make you tired as it helps your body fight off the poison in your system," Donnie took his bandana off of her and, smiling warmly, smoothed back some of her hair as her eyes drifted open and closed. He could have also told her that Mikey had put a sleeping pill in the tomato soup she'd just ate to make sure that she did get the rest that her body needed.

"Get some rest, Kitten; we'll still be here when you wake up," Casey, in a rare act of affection, hugged her and gave her a quick kiss on her head.

"Mmm… 'kay…" She smiled tiredly as she allowed herself to be laid back down onto Leonardo's bed.

"Sweet dreams, dearest Katherine," Leonardo spoke quietly enough so that only Donnie heard.

With a confused look at his older brother's young Alternate, Donnie looked at the others quizzically. "Raph, Mikey, would you or Leo and Casey mind keeping an eye on Kathy for me? I'd like to hear a bit more about what exactly has been going on."

"You got it, Bro," Mikey agreed quickly and eagerly.

"Someone'll be here when you two get back," Leo nodded at Donnie and Leonardo.

"Thanks, Big Bro," Donnie gave his oldest brother a thankful smile. "Leonardo, would you mind coming with me so I don't get lost?"

"Uh, sure, Donnie," Leonardo said agreeably, warily following the older version of one of his three younger brothers. Silently, they walked for a few minutes in the sewers, before Leonardo led him to the exact hidden room Leo and Kathy first appeared in their Dimension, without realizing it. "Uh, Donatello?"

"Just "Donnie", please, Leonardo," Donnie reprimanded gently.

"Sorry, Dona-ie," Leonardo apologized.

"I'd like to know exactly what's happened from the moment you first met Leo and Kathy to now, please," Donnie requested.

Seeing it as a reasonable request, Leonardo told what happened from his point of view; he was trying to seem like he only saw Kathy as a friend, but he was thrown when Donnie chuckled softly at the end of his story, "It's easy to find yourself falling in love with Kathy, isn't it?"

To be continued…

_Authoress' Notes: Triple ouch, I just did a mean Cliffy… Kat, please don't hunt me down! Seriously. I really hope that you all like this chapter; not much action, per say, but I think it cleared a number of things up. Plus, some adorable Don/Kath Fluffiness thrown in there as a bonus to all of you D/K fans out there. I should probably come up with a name for the coupling since it's becoming a series on here, shouldn't I? Ah, well. Anyway, I'm going to be lengthening the story by a chapter or two, so instead of it being six chapters, it'll be seven or eight. 'Kay? _

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_

_(1) - I couldn't resist; I loved the 1990's cartoon because Raphael always broke the Fourth Wall! So, there ya go._


	6. FINAL CHAPTER: New Understanding and

_Authoress' Notes: I'm alive! I'm alive! Heheh. Sorry to everyone who's been waiting for so long; I'm not very good at catching curveballs and Life seemed to enjoy throwing them at me as of late._

_Please, everyone, I hope you read, enjoy, and, if possible, review. _

_Thanks goes out to randomlass and AshK, the only two to review Chapter Five. Thanks, you two!_

_**Story Dedication: To Donnie's other Kathy, randomlass; thanks so much for your continued support for the Kathy Chronicles, Kat!**_

_Disclaimer: No, I do not own any of the characters mentioned or shown below, with the exception of Katherine "Kathy" Jones (no relation to Kat a.k.a. randomlass, before anyone asks); the rest belong to Mirage Studios (I think…), but definitely Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. I'm just borrowing them to satisfy my Muse._

_**Note: Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and Casey from '07 are going to be referred to as such, while the ones from the '90s are going to be referred to as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael to avoid confusion as to who's talking.**_

Chapter Six: New Understanding and Going Home FINAL CHAPTER

"I'd like to know exactly what's happened from the moment you first met Leo and Kathy to now, please," Donnie requested.

Seeing it as a reasonable request, Leonardo told what happened from his point of view; he was trying to seem like he only saw Kathy as a friend, but he was thrown when Donnie chuckled softly at the end of his story, "It's easy to find yourself falling in love with Kathy, isn't it?"

Leonardo spluttered, "I - no -"

Donnie eyed him knowingly, "A beautiful girl comes into your life and is everything anyone could ask for in a Life-mate: courageous, loving, knowledgeable, stubborn, but most of all… she doesn't care that you look like a monster, or that you live in a sewer." He put a comforting hand on the younger Turtle's shoulder, "I'm not mad, nor will I try to kill you in a jealous rage, Leonardo. From your comment earlier to your brother, Raphael, am I right to assume that Kathy told you about us?"

Leonardo nodded, avoiding the elder's eyes, "Yes; she really loves you. I, uh, kind of came onto her and she told me about you." Slowly, he raised his black eyes up until they connected with the brown eyes of the Turtle he was confessing to, "I really do like her, I think I might love her, but I - I know that if I came right out and told her that she'd be heartbroken… not for herself, but for me."

Donnie nodded, "Yeah; she would. Kathy… she's special like that, you know? She's so full of love for… well, not everything, because she absolutely hates the Foot and celery," Leonardo laughed at the off-handed way Donnie spoke, "and let's not get started on needles… but, most creatures, or people, she will do anything for."

The Blue-bandanad Turtle smiled in agreement, "She's quite possibly the most understanding person I've ever met. You're extremely lucky to have found her, Donnie… and she's lucky to have found you, too." He seemed to have come to a decision, "I'm very lucky to have met her and to be able to call her a friend."

"That's the spirit, Leonardo; besides," the Bo-wielding Turtle smirked knowingly, "there's someone out there for everyone that's truly their better half… you'll find them someday."

Leonardo stared at the blank wall, "One day, I hope." He glanced over at his companion, "Would you do me a favour, though, Donnie?"

"It depends, I suppose; what did you need?"

"I have something I'd like you to give her when we return to the Lair… but I'd rather you wait until you're back in your own Dimension, if you could," he stood up and stretched.

Donnie nodded, smiling as he did likewise, "I can do that." He looked over at the younger Turtle, "I'd like you to do me a favour, too, Leonardo."

Agreeably, he nodded, "Sure."

"I'd like it if you'd help my Brothers watch over Kathy while Donatello and I are in his Lab; I know her and she'll be likely fighting to get out of bed until everyone gives into her stubbornness. Unfortunately, my Brothers, especially Raph, and her Guardian, Casey, are pretty much putty in her hands. Can I trust you to keep her in bed?"

"Of course," Leonardo agreed, eager to spend as much time as he could with Kathy while she was still in his Dimension. They walked in silence back to the Lair and Donnie silently followed Leonardo to the Dojo-area. Leonardo went over to a corner and picked up a box before he brought it to him, "Lee-o has been training Kathy in Ninjutsu, and she seems most comfortable with twin weapons, but she didn't seem too fond of the Katana, so I've been working on a gift for her. I finally completed it this morning before she woke up."

"May I?" Donnie asked politely; when Leonardo nodded, he lifted the lid and whistled lowly at the twin Phoenix Bladed Kamas that laid within.

"Do you think she'll like them?"

"She'll love them, Leonardo," Donnie assured. "These were masterfully crafted; did you make them both yourself?" Leonardo nodded bashfully, still nervous. "I'm impressed; as I said, these look like they were made by a Master."

"Thank you, Donnie," Leonardo beamed, happy that the older Turtle wasn't about to pound him into the ground.

"No problem, Leonardo," Donnie chuckled, replacing the lid and handing it back to Leonardo. "Now, let's get back to our Brothers, huh?"

"Alright," the younger Turtle agreed. They heard yelling coming from Leonardo's room and rushed out of the dojo and over to it. "Donatello, what is going on?" He demanded of his brother when he entered his room to find his brothers looking concerned, Donnie's brothers looking torn between worried and mad at themselves, while Casey looked furious with himself.

"This idiot fell asleep and when he woke up, Katherine was gone," Donatello explained.

"Alright, quiet, everyone!" Donnie attempted to get their attention; when the first attempt failed, he shouted, "**Everyone, shut it!**" Immediately a silence fell over them and they were able to hear shuffling coming towards them.

"What's with all of the yelling?" Kathy asked, looking sick to her stomach as she shuffled back into the room; almost immediately she was jumped by eight worried Turtles. Startled, she stumbled backwards and bumped into the wall, "I… I think I'm gonna be sick…" She gulped, her face paling before she rushed out of the room, stumbling.

"Is she supposed to be getting sick?" Leo asked his genius brother, concerned as they stayed back with everyone but Mikey, who slipped out after the currently onyx-haired teen.

"Unfortunately for her, yes; her vomiting is just telling us that the Antidote, however synthetic it is, is doing its job of flushing the poison from her body," Donnie explained in laymen's terms as he followed the sounds of retching with his brothers and Casey while Leonardo stayed back with his to explain what was going to happen over the next few days.

"Shh, Babe," Mikey was knelt beside a retching Kathy, holding her hair out of her face with one hand as she bent over the toilet bowl while he rubbed her back soothingly with the other. "Can one of you run me a cool washcloth?" He looked back at his brothers as he cooed at Kathy.

"I hate Antidotes," she muttered, leaning back into Mikey's embrace as she fell back off her knees; since he was knelt mostly behind her, his plastron braced her back.

"How'd y' know it's the Antidote, Kat?" Raph questioned, curious as Donnie ran a cold washcloth for his younger brother and passed it to him. "It could be the poison."

"I'm occasionally dense, Raphie, not stupid," she replied dryly, sighing as Mikey gently wiped the cloth across her face and neck. "Mmm…"

"And absolutely correct, Beautiful," Donnie chuckled lightly, watching her carefully. "Being sick is telling us that your body is fighting the poison and flushing it out of your system; similar to a cold."

"Lovely," she murmured sarcastically. "By the way, have I ever mentioned how absolutely sickening vomit tastes?" When the brothers groaned at her lame pun, she gave a small smile, "Hey, I can't help it if the truth is cliché."

"C'mon, let's get y' back to bed, Kat," Raph told her, rolling his eyes as he carefully helped her up off the floor and supported her leaning against his side an arm around her waist.

"Raphie, make the room stop spinnin', please," Kathy requested, closing her eyes and gripping his side as her head unconsciously leant against his shoulder.

"Dizziness is another symptom; all you can really do is sleep it off, Kathy," Donnie lamented, watching her with a hint of regret.

"Don't even go there, Donatello Hamato," she spoke without opening her eyes. "I'm fully aware that it was my own stupidity that got me poisoned, as well as naivety when I didn't think that you'd have Mikey put a sleeping pill into my tomato soup."

"She's got you three down to a science, guys," Casey spoke up from where he was watching her warily from the doorway; it was already fairly crowded in the washroom with his cousin, Mikey, Donnie, and Raph in it while Leo hovered behind him.

"Four," Leo spoke up reluctantly. When the others, including Kathy who stood up straighter as she leaned on the sink in accordance to her boyfriend's silent request, looked at him in surprise and confusion, he elaborated, "I never realized it, but Kathy's quite adept at reading me like a book; the past week has been an eye-opening experience. She's much more observant, and more of a friend, than I've given her credit for since knowing her."

When they looked at her in disbelief, a small giggle escaped as she leaned back against her boyfriend's plastron as he supported her back against him with one hand while his other was helping her brush her teeth. A few moments of silence past before she rinsed her mouth with the cup of water that her boyfriend handed her, while he rinsed off the brush, "Leo and I came to an agreement of sorts after the first few days here; since we were the only familiar things in this Dimension, we'd have to rely more on one another and that meant that we couldn't be fighting over everything. He even started training me in Ninjutsu, which he would've never done had we not been forced to get along. Did he tell you that, before I fainted after we rescued Michelangelo and their Sensei that he called me "Imouto"? I think it's safe to say that we won't be arguing nearly as much as we usually did after we get home," she didn't notice the saddened look on Raph's face at this mentioned new closeness as she flashed Leo a smile. "It was nice to know that I wasn't wrong; after all, I do love being right."

"Babe, you've been hanging out with the Don-ster way too much," Mikey joked, sensing his usually hostile brother's down-trodden mood. "Come on, let's get you back to bed," he took her hand and mock-guided her out of the washroom with a hand on her back. "Think you can handle something a little more substantial than tomato soup, Babe?"

"Ask my Doctor," Kathy replied dryly, following along with the ploy; despite feeling somewhat sick to her stomach, Kathy was feeling much better than she had felt when she'd woken up earlier and she knew it was due to her boyfriend, his brothers, and her cousin's presence.

"Doctor, may your patient have something that's tastier than that tomato soup?" Mikey stared at his genius brother, who was walking behind the troublesome duo, imploringly.

"I'd rather she not have anything more than chicken noodle soup, Mike," Donnie caved under their pleading stares. "Alright, maybe some chocolate or ice cream… no sundaes this time!"

"Could I have some cocoa?" Kathy questioned, knowing her boyfriend was wont to deny her anything.

"If I can't see your pout, Kathy, than I shan't cave," her boyfriend answered dryly, walking ahead of them with his face pointedly staring straight.

"Smart guy," Casey snickered as he, Raph, and Leo followed the prank-loving duo who were now following the genius.

"Back to bed with you, Katherine," Leonardo appeared in the doorway to his room.

Kathy's face blanched at the thought of more bed-rest and, predictably, turned around in an attempt to escape. "I don't think so, young lady," Leo smirked, blocking her way; when she made a move to bolt around him towards the left, he moved to block her, losing his balance when she, instead, bolted to the right…

… where she was met with a solid plastron. "Raph, put me down!" She squirmed around in an attempt to get out of his grip as he lifted her easily into his arms bridal style, careful not to jostle her upset stomach any more than it was.

"Yer too predictable, Kit-Kat," he smirked down at her pouting form as he carried her into Leonardo's tidy domain. "Don' worry, girlie, I'm sure Don'll only keep y' on bed rest for another day or two," he took great glee as her pout turned into a glare; with more care than he'd ever admit to having, he placed her underneath the covers that had been turned downwards.

"Why is my best friend such a jerk to me?" Kathy whined in a melodramatic way as her boyfriend lovingly tucked her in; Donnie brushed a kiss to her brow.

"If you need me, I'll be down the hall in Donatello's Lab, Beautiful," he whispered tenderly.

"'Kay, Handsome. Love you," she gave him a bright smile when he bent down again and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"And I love you," he replied before he exited the room.

"'Cause yer bein' a brat an' won't listen t' yer boyfriend, who doubles as yer Doctor," Raph answered after Donnie left, feeling an odd warm feeling he had been unaccustomed to before he met friend's cousin when she sulked at him; he'd never admit it, especially not to her cousin, but he adored the spirited young woman and had more than a small soft spot for her.

"Katherine, rest really is the best thing for you right now," Leonardo spoke up quietly from the foot of the bed where he'd been watching them with curiosity. When the duo turned their attention to him, he flushed noticeably, "I mean, Raph, was it?" When the older Turtle nodded, he continued, "Raph's right; the more you concentrate on getting better, the sooner Donnie will take you off of bed rest."

"Cap- Katherine, here's some chicken noodle soup; it's from a can, but Mikey said that you're not too picky," Michelangelo entered the room with a tray, which held a bowl of chicken noodle soup, crackers, a spoon, and a glass of orange juice.

"No, I'm not. Thank you, Michelangelo," Kathy gave him a smile as he set the tray across her lap. She ate quietly, knowing instinctively that her boyfriend would have recruited the Younger Turtles in his efforts to aide her recovery; he was especially picky about her not eating everything on her plate that she could when she was ill. Casey, Leonardo, and Raph were the only ones left in the room as the others all went off to find something to do that didn't include Kathy trying to pout her way out of her mandatory bed rest; Raph and Casey were teaching the Younger Turtle the basics of Poker.

When she finished, she looked at the three and asked, "Raph, do you know how we're supposed to get Home?"

Raph looked up from teaching Leonardo Poker and answered after a moment, "Don's tryin' ta build a machine that's similar to the one that sent you an' Leo here."

A pensive frown came over Kathy's features, "Then how did you all get here, if not the same way?"

"Yer boyfriend worked day and night for four straight days, tinkering with the Portal thingy that he, Raph, and Mikey stole from the Purple Dragons. He managed to fix it, with April's help, but it kinda… blew up as we went through," Casey replied with a shrug.

"Well, if anyone can find us a way Home, it'd be Donnie and Donatello," Kathy agreed whimsically, idly brushing a stray stand of hair away from her hazel eyes. "Thanks for letting me commandeer your bed all this time, Leonardo."

"Anything for a friend, Katherine," Leonardo beamed at her and she was, again, struck with how different the two were. Leonardo was open, fun-loving, relaxed, and very much accepting of change which was much like Donnie's personality, whereas Leo usually was closed-off, serious, tense, and tended to fight against too much change. He stood up and stretched, "Well, I'm going to go get something to drink, and take your dishes back, Katherine; does anyone want anything while I'm up?"

"Hot cocoa. Please, Leonardo?" Kathy widened her hazel eyes hopefully and he chuckled at her.

"Donnie was right; your looks are lethal," he teased her, a soft smile on his face as he organized her dishes on the tray. When she began pouting, he gave in partially, "I'll see what I can do, Katherine."

Her face instantly transformed and she was beaming at him, "Thanks, Leonardo; you're such a sweetheart."

He blushed darkly, averting his eyes from her, "It's no problem… really. Anything else you'd like?"

"Just cocoa," she replied sweetly. "With marshmallows, if you have any?"

"Alright, then; a cocoa for the not-so-patient Kunoichi-In-Training. Raph, Mr. Jones? Would you like anything?"

"Coke, if ya got it," Raph answered.

"Same, I guess; obviously you guys ain't got no alcohol," Casey grumbled to himself.

"Of course not; why would we need alcohol?" Leonardo looked confused, "We're not legal in any State, so why would we have it?"

"Just be glad you don't have Raph for a best friend and Casey for a Guardian; being Legal means nothing, then," Kathy made a face, remembering an incident in particular that involved Casey mixing Rum into her coke a little after he'd found out that she and Donnie had "done the deed".

"… I don't want to know," Leonardo hid a smile as he walked out of his room.

))) Three days later… (((

"Oh, Katherine! It's been so wonderful to get to know you!" April O'Neil cried, hugging the younger girl tightly.

"We'll really miss having you around," Irma added, smiling sadly.

"Take great pride in yourself, your accomplishments, and your family, Young One," Splinter told Kathy who smiled indulgently. "You'll take your world by storm and love."

"Thank you, Master Yoshi," she gave a formal bow as she spoke in a low, grateful tone as April had finally released her. "I will. I'll miss you all, and think of you often," she told the Young Turtles who were quietly having tears fall down their cheeks; surprising them, she quickly leapt forward and kissed each of them on the cheeks as she swiftly hugged each of them, ignoring the dark colour they turned as they blushed at the unexpected action. She held on a moment longer with Leonardo, who took the opportunity to inhale her scent for what he was sure was the last time, "Thank you, Leonardo… for everything. And, I'm sorry I couldn't return your feelings," she pulled back a bit to look him seriously in the eyes and continued in the same soft voice, "but, please know that I'm confident that there's someone out there who's made just for your love. You'll find her, perhaps… but, I think she'll find you." She gave him one last, small smile as she choked back her own tears whilst walking away to join her boyfriend and their family who were waiting patiently, "Thank you all for your hospitality… and your friendship. It means a lot to Leo and I."

"Again, thank you for taking care of my brother and Kathy," Donnie agreed, squeezing her hand softly as she placed hers in his. "It means the world to us, and we're in your debt," his dark chocolate eyes connected with Leonardo's coal black and a wave of understanding past between them, with him ticking his eyes to the backpack he had strapped to his shell; it seemed the gift that Leonardo had made for the vivacious Kunoichi-In-Training currently resided in it.

"In our debt, huh?" Raphael spoke up, "Don't forget 'bout us and yer debt's repaid." He roughly rubbed his eyes.

"Done, Junior," Raph gave his Twin a rare smile. "I'll think 'bout y' every time I look in the mirror."

With that said, the Young Turtles, Splinter who was also known as Hamato Yoshi, April, Irma, the Neutrons, and Vernon watched in varying degrees of sadness as their new friends turned around and walked into the dark blue vortex and disappeared.

End… Possibly.

_Authoress' Notes: I'm so SO sorry about not updating QTi1990 in nearly a year; Life just didn't want to play nicely with me. Hopefully, this'll make up for everything._

_I think this chapter turned out nicely, but it was sad at the end. Officially, this story is finished; but, I am thinking about doing a Epilogue. However, I am marking this story as finished on the site. Not a very action-y read, but I felt this to be more of an emotional chapter; not common for the Turtle-verse._

_Thanks goes out to all of my lovely, patient readers and reviewers; the Chronicles wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you all._

_Please Read and Review; the more reviews an Author/ess receives on a story, the more and quicker s/he is spurred to write. I accept all reviews: Comment, Compliment, and Criticism (preferably __**Constructive**__ Criticism); I accept Flames, but nothing with swearing in it, since the Default Profanity Filter is on my reviews._

_Cowabunga,_

_Laura a.k.a. uncutetomboy_


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